If I’m Being Honest Podcast | Episode 15: My Wife Died By Suicide At Six Weeks Postpartum (With Steven)

Posted on September 12, 2019

Welcome! In this podcast, we will be talking about all the subjects that we tip toe around in society. We’re going to chat about the sensitive, the controversial, the censored, and the taboo. I’ve invited guests to talk with me about their most intimate stories, in an effort to demystify these subjects and humanize their experience. Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and I’d love your 5-Star rating and review. You can find us on Instagram: @ifimbeinghonestpodcast. Also, please tell your friends about us.

Steven lost his wife Alexis to postpartum depression and
psychosis just six weeks after their daughter Adriana was born, in
October of 2013. He’s dedicated his entire existence to fighting for the
future of maternal mental health care. Besides founding the Alexis Joy D’Achille Foundation, Allegheny Health Network now has the Alexis Joy D’Achille Center for Perinatal Mental Health in Pittsburgh,
which is a medical facility where women can seek treatment for
pregnancy-related mental health issues. When properly treated, PMAD have
an 80% recovery rate, but because of stigma, lack of resources, and
other systematic issues- women are slipping through the cracks. Alexis
was one of those women. Please be warned that this episode contains
graphic accounts of suicide and trauma. Please proceed with discretion
as this content could be triggering for some. If you feel you are in
crisis or need help, please reach out to someone.

Liz Walsh

September 14, 2019 at 1:11 pm

I just finished the podcast with Stephen D Achilles. Wow. I’m so glad that you featured him. His family’s story is absolutely heartbreaking yet so powerful. I’m still drying my tears from listening to his account of Alexis’ postpartum depression. I’m a postpartum doula myself who didn’t know I was suffering from postpartum anxiety until a dear friend told me it was time to get help. I’ve been on medication for a year and and finally regaining a sense of myself. Although I did not have suicidal thoughts, I had so many intrusive thoughts that scared me. I fantasized about leaving my family and starting over. I often had visions of them getting hurt or killed. I wasn’t sleeping, nursing around-the-clock. I would be set into instant rage over the smallest things. I felt shame and embarrassment. I felt so alone. Thank you for sharing your own journey, and for sharing others journeys.

Welcome!

I'm Katie, a thirty-something mom of three in the Deep South. I'm here to help you live your best life in the ways that make you, YOU. No matter your strong points, we are all in this together. I love to create a beautifully imperfect life, tell my story, break the rules, and to wander as far and as often as possible. Hang around for a laugh (or maybe a cry).